Games Completed 2020
Re: Games Completed 2020
I played through all three in the space of about a month. They’re competent, and they probably do work better if you treat them all as one long game (there is a kind of character arc for Lara across the games that’s not so clear if you don’t play them all, but it not fantastic).
I enjoyed them, but I played them all via gamepass. If I’d paid, I might’ve thought different.
I enjoyed them, but I played them all via gamepass. If I’d paid, I might’ve thought different.
Re: Games Completed 2020
Yeah, I felt I might be losing something only having played this third game. I played it 'free' via PS Now, I think if I'd paid for it, it could have gone one of two ways. Either I'd have been disappointed with it, or I'd have looked for more positives and ended up with a better opinion of it.
- NoMoreSpearows
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Re: Games Completed 2020
I have just finished Murder by Numbers.
Oddly, the game it reminds me the most of is Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The fact that they share the same composer aside, I make this comparison mostly because it is meant as an introduction to two similar-but-not-alike concepts, in this case an Ace Attorney-like investigation system combined with nonograms for determining what each piece of evidence actually is. The latter far outweighs the former; you are not punished for any false accusations or missteps when confronting witnesses, and the pace of the fourth episode is a slog as you do far more puzzles than sleuthing. At the same time, the nonograms aren't terribly complex, with only one bonus puzzle going to a 20x15 setup (for comparison, Picross DS has several puzzles at 25x20).
The story isn't too complicated, and I have learned that I'm savvy enough to see who the culprit was far more than the game anticipated, but it's still a cute adventure. I found myself quite endeared to SCOUT, a robot whose analyses make up the context for solving nonograms in the first place. As someone with autism, I saw many similarities between myself and SCOUT: we can both be perplexed by what most would consider societal norms, we both have a bad habit of instinctively cracking jokes at very poor times, and we both hope to find a greater purpose behind our existences.
While the dialogue can get a bit saccharine, and the sequel bait is a bit shoehorned, it's still a solid set of nonograms who aren't yet satisfied by the seemingly endless amount available on the Switch eShop and other storefronts.
Oddly, the game it reminds me the most of is Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The fact that they share the same composer aside, I make this comparison mostly because it is meant as an introduction to two similar-but-not-alike concepts, in this case an Ace Attorney-like investigation system combined with nonograms for determining what each piece of evidence actually is. The latter far outweighs the former; you are not punished for any false accusations or missteps when confronting witnesses, and the pace of the fourth episode is a slog as you do far more puzzles than sleuthing. At the same time, the nonograms aren't terribly complex, with only one bonus puzzle going to a 20x15 setup (for comparison, Picross DS has several puzzles at 25x20).
The story isn't too complicated, and I have learned that I'm savvy enough to see who the culprit was far more than the game anticipated, but it's still a cute adventure. I found myself quite endeared to SCOUT, a robot whose analyses make up the context for solving nonograms in the first place. As someone with autism, I saw many similarities between myself and SCOUT: we can both be perplexed by what most would consider societal norms, we both have a bad habit of instinctively cracking jokes at very poor times, and we both hope to find a greater purpose behind our existences.
While the dialogue can get a bit saccharine, and the sequel bait is a bit shoehorned, it's still a solid set of nonograms who aren't yet satisfied by the seemingly endless amount available on the Switch eShop and other storefronts.
- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
21st Mar - Hitman (2016)Jon Cheetham wrote: ↑March 2nd, 2020, 3:29 am 13th Jan - Dishonored 2
19th Jan - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
23rd Jan - Sayonara Wild Hearts
4th Feb - Wolfenstein: The New Order
18th Feb - Titanfall 2
28th Feb - What Remains of Edith Finch
2nd Mar - Gone Home[/b]
2nd Mar - Florence[/b]
By "completed", I did a first run through each of the locations to get to the end of the story in the first game's campaign, which I got as DLC for Hitman 2. Cost me RM27 aka $6 for the pack which is a steal considering I could replay these missions for like, a couple of months. Excited to go onto the main story for the second game, but also can't wait to go back and complete some of the story missions I missed. I mean, I'm sure I'd make a great surgeon for an elites-only clinic in the mountains of Hokkaido...
- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
21st Mar - Thief 2Jon Cheetham wrote: ↑March 21st, 2020, 10:38 am 13th Jan - Dishonored 2
19th Jan - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
23rd Jan - Sayonara Wild Hearts
4th Feb - Wolfenstein: The New Order
18th Feb - Titanfall 2
28th Feb - What Remains of Edith Finch
2nd Mar - Gone Home
2nd Mar - Florence
21st Mar - Hitman (2016)
I finally did it! Took nearly a week on and off I think but I finally got through the final mission. The first half of it sucks, utterly, but the second half is basically a series of self-contained stealth challenges that are actually pretty fun and test the approaches you've developed throughout the rest of the game. I used a guide to get through the first half and then was able to have fun and do the ending parts my way. Really glad I persisted because I love this game. It has literally become a new all-time favourite, and I didn't want to give up at the last mission.
- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
Edit: somehow screwed up and reposted ... sorry everyone!
- Combine Hunter
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- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
- Spoiler: show
The gameplay is so fun by the end. So many powers and weapons to choose from which makes each encounter a chance to experiment and muck about. A ton of crazed guys and dolls come round the corner, how about a cloud of bees and the electric shotgun? Looking forward to trying the second one, especially because of Minerva's Den which I've heard really good things about.
Re: Games Completed 2020
Finished Doom 64 on XB1X
Really enjoyed it but the final boss is rubbish
Really enjoyed it but the final boss is rubbish
- FemalePheromones
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Re: Games Completed 2020
I re-played both last year through the remaster collection and remembered not enjoying 2 as much as the original the first time around but this time I actually thought 2 was the better game. It basically improves on everything that wasn't great about the original while adding depth to the world. Enjoy!Jon Cheetham wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2020, 3:09 am22nd Mar - BioShock Remastered
- Spoiler: show
The gameplay is so fun by the end. So many powers and weapons to choose from which makes each encounter a chance to experiment and muck about. A ton of crazed guys and dolls come round the corner, how about a cloud of bees and the electric shotgun? Looking forward to trying the second one, especially because of Minerva's Den which I've heard really good things about.
Re: Games Completed 2020
Yes! I've always said I liked the second one best, I thought I was alone haha.
- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
Excellent, thanks folks... looking forward to starting the second one then!
- Simonsloth
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Re: Games Completed 2020
- Spoiler: show
Days Gone
Finished it via remote play to my laptop as I’m isolated away from my family. Managed to get the bonus ending too. Many peaks and a few troughs in a game I don’t think the critics had time to play properly. I cannot for the life of me understand the 5/10 scores it got from some places e.g. Gamespot.
Gradius (NES online via Switch)
Used rewind a few times on the final level but I actually found I was surprisingly good at it! Digging out my PSP to play the collection which has 2-4 on it.
- Combine Hunter
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Re: Games Completed 2020
- Spoiler: show
Really enjoyed this overall, but held back by a ton of technical issues. Hope they get a bunch of patches out quick.
- mikeleddy83
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Re: Games Completed 2020
- Spoiler: show
- Jon Cheetham
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Re: Games Completed 2020
25th Mar - DishonoredJon Cheetham wrote: ↑March 21st, 2020, 12:31 pm 13th Jan - Dishonored 2
19th Jan - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
23rd Jan - Sayonara Wild Hearts
4th Feb - Wolfenstein: The New Order
18th Feb - Titanfall 2
28th Feb - What Remains of Edith Finch
2nd Mar - Gone Home
2nd Mar - Florence
21st Mar - Hitman (2016)
21st Mar - Thief 2
22nd Mar - BioShock Remastered
First one in my slow series replay down. These games stand up so well to additional playthroughs, providing such breadth for exploration and scrutiny. The levels are built to be engaged with however you want. In the final level, I took my time going through the outer defenses and scaling the incredible brutalist steampunk lighthouse at the centre of Kingsparrow Island, dealing with most of the guards and poking my head into every corner.
I saw a couple of handy shortcuts though, and wanted to try something. After I finished the game, I reloaded at the start of the final mission and using the shortcuts and the Possession and Slow Time abilities was able to race up the lighthouse and get to the end in just under 7 minutes. It was really fun and helped me understand why people enjoy speedrunning. It's a neat feeling to have got to know the level that well, and I could probably do it even quicker as well.
I also tried out the Dunwall City Trials for the first time. These are cool! It's a bite size version of Dishonored, and the first one involves you sneaking around to find clues and deduce who your target is. A stealthy immersive sim with detective elements is literally something I want in life, so this is a great surprise to find was actually already in one of my favourite series.
Re: Games Completed 2020
Alundra - PS1
26/03
Long overdue replay of one of my favourite games of the 90s.
It was then, and still is my favourite 2d Zelda (style) game. It's impossible not to draw comparisons with that series and whilst not as tight and meticulously crafted as, say ALTTP, the game's sheer scale and ambitious overworld and dungeon design is still hugely impressive and more than makes up for it's few rough edges.
Anecdotally it seems a lot of people give up on Alundra due to it's difficulty but if you've never seen the back half of this game you're missing out on some of the smartest, most complex and just downright brilliant dungeon design this genre has to offer.
If you haven't played this game or have been put off in the past by it's difficulty, I highly recommend the Un-worked Designs patch which restores the balance of the original Japanese release. It doesn't make the game easier, but it does smooth out the uneven difficulty curve introduced by Working Designs' unnecessary meddling with damage values etc (Psygnosis also used WD's localisation as a base for the PAL version).
Think I might finally have a go at the infamous sequel soon, it can't be that bad right?
26/03
Long overdue replay of one of my favourite games of the 90s.
It was then, and still is my favourite 2d Zelda (style) game. It's impossible not to draw comparisons with that series and whilst not as tight and meticulously crafted as, say ALTTP, the game's sheer scale and ambitious overworld and dungeon design is still hugely impressive and more than makes up for it's few rough edges.
Anecdotally it seems a lot of people give up on Alundra due to it's difficulty but if you've never seen the back half of this game you're missing out on some of the smartest, most complex and just downright brilliant dungeon design this genre has to offer.
If you haven't played this game or have been put off in the past by it's difficulty, I highly recommend the Un-worked Designs patch which restores the balance of the original Japanese release. It doesn't make the game easier, but it does smooth out the uneven difficulty curve introduced by Working Designs' unnecessary meddling with damage values etc (Psygnosis also used WD's localisation as a base for the PAL version).
Think I might finally have a go at the infamous sequel soon, it can't be that bad right?
- duskvstweak
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Re: Games Completed 2020
So, I recently went back through DOOM 2016 on Ultra-Violence. But, I still had the itch so I went back again this week and tackled Nightmare mode. It's just so much fun. An all-time favorite at this point.
- KSubzero1000
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Re: Games Completed 2020
Doom: Eternal
What an exhilarating, exhausting, exquisite, occasionally exasperating game this is.
Mechanically speaking, I think this is probably the most accomplished FPS I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Instead of just playing it safe like most sequels and rehashing the same gameplay as its predecessor with a couple of extra animations thrown in there for good measure, this game straight up doubles down on everything that makes the original great while also smartly recontextualizing some crucial elements. The result: harder, better, faster, stronger. The Super Shotgun is as powerful as ever, but some enemies will now counter it with powerful AoE attacks. Ammo counter is reduced, which incentivizes you to keep track of your chainsaw resource management and the location of fodder enemies mid-fight. Glory kills are less of a one-button formality and more of a health-regenerating mechanic to be utilized when necessary and not haphazardly. Flame Belch makes the enemies shed vital pieces of armor, so using it in combination with the Ice Grenade followed by some high-damage weapon is often the smart play. The new Dash maneuver is pitch perfect, I have absolutely no idea how the first one somehow made do without it in retrospect. And oh yeah, the Hook! The verticality! Layers upon layers of juicy goodness. Couple all of that with the kind of splendid enemy AI and variety that puts 99% of all other shooters to shame and the end result is something truly special.
Unfortunately I can't directly embed any twitter gifs, but for the love of cool cucumber on a warm August afternoon do yourselves a favor and get a load of this hemoglobin flavored Mona Lisa: https://twitter.com/SunhiLegend/status/ ... 3925933062
Doom (2016) is a thrilling power fantasy which allows you to pick your favorite weapon and slaughter an entire room full of demons as you see fit. Doom: Eternal on the other hand is almost like a first-person character action game in which you are more or less forced to juggle and prioritize the various mechanics at your disposal to make it out of the aforementioned room in one piece. Very similar at first glance, and yet oh so different in practice. It's definitely harder, but in a good way. It doesn't just give the enemies more HP, it makes you learn and appreciate all of its intricacies.
Personally, I adore the direction they went in when redesigning this game's combat system. It activates the part of my brain usually reserved for RE4 and Ninja Gaiden, and that's no small praise coming from me (I've heard some comparisons to Ninja Gaiden 2 in particular and I would definitely have to agree with those). Another comparison that comes to mind would be Bloodborne. It kicks away your established crutch from under you (op Super Shotgun / turtling) and expects you to deal with it, because it is confident enough in its own quality to know you will end up enjoying the learning process.
Bosses are very good for the most part. Some of the later ones have some environmental hazards which I found a bit frustrating to deal with, but most of them are fun and well-designed. In a genre otherwise infamous for bad / non-existent bosses, I'm very happy with what this game offers.
I'm also impressed by the level design, broadly speaking. The environments are very aesthetically varied, which prevents the usual visual stagnation so prevalent in the genre. Reminded me a bit of the God of War reboot at times (albeit in a very different style, of course!). More importantly, they're a joy to traverse and explore thanks to the sheer number of cool little collectibles hidden behind every corner. One of the mid-game chapters in particular is ridiculously inventive and epic in every sense of the word. Some people take issue with some of the platforming elements; I think they remain on the right side of enjoyable throughout, but YMMV. As far as I'm concerned, the devs have made the downtime between enemy encounters as enjoyable as possible. Simply put: it has that extra bit of Metroid Prime DNA mixed in there, and that's more than good enough for me.
Story is a mixed bag. They doubled down on the Deep Lore instead of following up on the minimalist corporate comedy of the first one. I'm not 100% sure this was the best choice. The story takes itself a tad seriously at times and there's definitely something that got lost in the process, although I'll admit I enjoyed reading the little lore blurbs a lot more than I was expecting to. And at the very least, the new direction serves as a very convenient framing device for all the sweet space-trotting action.
It's not without its flaws, unfortunately. First and foremost, there are simply too many little glitches and technical annoyances. Grenades disappearing through the floor, poor collision with the environments, texture problems, invisible walls, auto-selecting the wrong weapon, etc... None of them are game-breaking but they're noticeable and happen just often enough to be annoying, which does seem to hint at the sort of usual AAA development priorities these days. I really wish games weren't being pawned off to consumers as soon as they reach 80% of their development cycle like it's the most natural thing in the world. I would have gladly waited a couple extra weeks / months for a more polished and complete package.
Speaking of which, the complete absence of any additional modes apart from the very thin and lackluster multiplayer is an absolute shame. A game like this absolutely needs a proper arcade mode with substantial replay value to make the best out of its fantastic combat system. And I'm not talking about the half-assed scoring system slapped on top of the basic campaign from the first one. Open-ended Slayer Gates, enemies getting stronger and more aggressive with every wave, leaderboards, Bloody Palace, that sort of thing. I really hope the devs are planning on bringing something like this as DLC because it would be a completely wasted opportunity if not.
So not only do you have to make a Bethesda account before you can access the main menu for the first time, but the servers like to casually go down whenever they feel like it and the game is set to try to automatically log you in at the end of every loading screen?? Get the fuck out of here. This is primarily a singleplayer game, that shit is completely unacceptable.
Lastly, the final level appears to have been cobbled together rather quickly in comparison to the rest of the game. My guess is that they were forced to scrap their original end-game concept late in development and had to settle for what's in the final game. It's still playable, it's still fun, but... what could have been, I wonder?
Anyway, none of this takes away from the incredible quality of the moment-to-moment gameplay. I know this community by and large isn't as much into 3D action games as I am, but if any of you are currently in the mood for a tougher, deeper, more strategic, more ambitious and even more energetic game which improves on the foundation laid by Doom (2016) in almost every respect, then look no further than this one. Other FPSs simply don't compare.
Rip and Tear, until it is done.
PS: These games even manage to make me appreciate "metal", or whatever that caveman noise is called.
What an exhilarating, exhausting, exquisite, occasionally exasperating game this is.
Mechanically speaking, I think this is probably the most accomplished FPS I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Instead of just playing it safe like most sequels and rehashing the same gameplay as its predecessor with a couple of extra animations thrown in there for good measure, this game straight up doubles down on everything that makes the original great while also smartly recontextualizing some crucial elements. The result: harder, better, faster, stronger. The Super Shotgun is as powerful as ever, but some enemies will now counter it with powerful AoE attacks. Ammo counter is reduced, which incentivizes you to keep track of your chainsaw resource management and the location of fodder enemies mid-fight. Glory kills are less of a one-button formality and more of a health-regenerating mechanic to be utilized when necessary and not haphazardly. Flame Belch makes the enemies shed vital pieces of armor, so using it in combination with the Ice Grenade followed by some high-damage weapon is often the smart play. The new Dash maneuver is pitch perfect, I have absolutely no idea how the first one somehow made do without it in retrospect. And oh yeah, the Hook! The verticality! Layers upon layers of juicy goodness. Couple all of that with the kind of splendid enemy AI and variety that puts 99% of all other shooters to shame and the end result is something truly special.
Unfortunately I can't directly embed any twitter gifs, but for the love of cool cucumber on a warm August afternoon do yourselves a favor and get a load of this hemoglobin flavored Mona Lisa: https://twitter.com/SunhiLegend/status/ ... 3925933062
Doom (2016) is a thrilling power fantasy which allows you to pick your favorite weapon and slaughter an entire room full of demons as you see fit. Doom: Eternal on the other hand is almost like a first-person character action game in which you are more or less forced to juggle and prioritize the various mechanics at your disposal to make it out of the aforementioned room in one piece. Very similar at first glance, and yet oh so different in practice. It's definitely harder, but in a good way. It doesn't just give the enemies more HP, it makes you learn and appreciate all of its intricacies.
Personally, I adore the direction they went in when redesigning this game's combat system. It activates the part of my brain usually reserved for RE4 and Ninja Gaiden, and that's no small praise coming from me (I've heard some comparisons to Ninja Gaiden 2 in particular and I would definitely have to agree with those). Another comparison that comes to mind would be Bloodborne. It kicks away your established crutch from under you (op Super Shotgun / turtling) and expects you to deal with it, because it is confident enough in its own quality to know you will end up enjoying the learning process.
Bosses are very good for the most part. Some of the later ones have some environmental hazards which I found a bit frustrating to deal with, but most of them are fun and well-designed. In a genre otherwise infamous for bad / non-existent bosses, I'm very happy with what this game offers.
I'm also impressed by the level design, broadly speaking. The environments are very aesthetically varied, which prevents the usual visual stagnation so prevalent in the genre. Reminded me a bit of the God of War reboot at times (albeit in a very different style, of course!). More importantly, they're a joy to traverse and explore thanks to the sheer number of cool little collectibles hidden behind every corner. One of the mid-game chapters in particular is ridiculously inventive and epic in every sense of the word. Some people take issue with some of the platforming elements; I think they remain on the right side of enjoyable throughout, but YMMV. As far as I'm concerned, the devs have made the downtime between enemy encounters as enjoyable as possible. Simply put: it has that extra bit of Metroid Prime DNA mixed in there, and that's more than good enough for me.
Story is a mixed bag. They doubled down on the Deep Lore instead of following up on the minimalist corporate comedy of the first one. I'm not 100% sure this was the best choice. The story takes itself a tad seriously at times and there's definitely something that got lost in the process, although I'll admit I enjoyed reading the little lore blurbs a lot more than I was expecting to. And at the very least, the new direction serves as a very convenient framing device for all the sweet space-trotting action.
It's not without its flaws, unfortunately. First and foremost, there are simply too many little glitches and technical annoyances. Grenades disappearing through the floor, poor collision with the environments, texture problems, invisible walls, auto-selecting the wrong weapon, etc... None of them are game-breaking but they're noticeable and happen just often enough to be annoying, which does seem to hint at the sort of usual AAA development priorities these days. I really wish games weren't being pawned off to consumers as soon as they reach 80% of their development cycle like it's the most natural thing in the world. I would have gladly waited a couple extra weeks / months for a more polished and complete package.
Speaking of which, the complete absence of any additional modes apart from the very thin and lackluster multiplayer is an absolute shame. A game like this absolutely needs a proper arcade mode with substantial replay value to make the best out of its fantastic combat system. And I'm not talking about the half-assed scoring system slapped on top of the basic campaign from the first one. Open-ended Slayer Gates, enemies getting stronger and more aggressive with every wave, leaderboards, Bloody Palace, that sort of thing. I really hope the devs are planning on bringing something like this as DLC because it would be a completely wasted opportunity if not.
So not only do you have to make a Bethesda account before you can access the main menu for the first time, but the servers like to casually go down whenever they feel like it and the game is set to try to automatically log you in at the end of every loading screen?? Get the fuck out of here. This is primarily a singleplayer game, that shit is completely unacceptable.
Lastly, the final level appears to have been cobbled together rather quickly in comparison to the rest of the game. My guess is that they were forced to scrap their original end-game concept late in development and had to settle for what's in the final game. It's still playable, it's still fun, but... what could have been, I wonder?
Anyway, none of this takes away from the incredible quality of the moment-to-moment gameplay. I know this community by and large isn't as much into 3D action games as I am, but if any of you are currently in the mood for a tougher, deeper, more strategic, more ambitious and even more energetic game which improves on the foundation laid by Doom (2016) in almost every respect, then look no further than this one. Other FPSs simply don't compare.
Rip and Tear, until it is done.
PS: These games even manage to make me appreciate "metal", or whatever that caveman noise is called.
Re: Games Completed 2020
Having not really enjoyed the previous game, it's not one I'm really looking at playing, but I enjoyed reading that Ksub, great write up!